Can I bring my laptop computer or other electronic devices to another country?

In most cases, you can bring your laptop or other electronic device to another country. However, there are security concerns to be considered and export control requirements that may apply.

Traveling abroad with your electronic devices may increase your exposure to cyber crimes. Visit https://cybersecurity.yale.edu/travel-securely for guidance and best practices for reducing those risks.

In certain situations, taking a laptop computer or other electronic device outside the U.S. may be regarded as an “export” subject to regulation by the U.S. government under the U.S. export control laws. Such “exports” may require a license from the U.S. government, particularly if you are traveling to a country with which the U.S. has an embargo or your device contains encryption software, unpublished data covered by a technology control list maintained by the U.S. government, data with potential military use, or data relating to weapons of mass destruction.

So long as you are not traveling to an embargoed country and do not have encryption software, a license should not normally be required if your electronic device is of a type that is generally available for sale from commercial vendors, is kept under your immediate control when outside the United States, and is brought back to the United States within one year of the initial departure.